Medford Knife & Tool Dress Marauder Flamed Titanium Folder Knife Review

Greg Medford is a native Arizonan and an ardent American patriot. He is dedicated to hand crafting and small-scale manufacturing as a part of the new Small Factory Industrial Rebirth of America. Greg’s early development was deeply shaped by his mom being a 2^nd generation Greek immigrant and his Dad being form an old Irish/American family that came from Massachusetts, west Texas, and Arizona.

The values of pragmatism, hard work, honesty, love of one’s country, and treating people right were instilled early. Greg’s Greek grandfather, Christy Nekitopoulos, would get teary eyed talking about his love for this country. The trucking company he established is still family-owned and operated nearly 100 years later.
Greg’s grandpa, Ferris Medford, was a scrappy West Texas American forged out of the dust and cattle that surrounded him. He was an avid horseman, and throughout his life he handcrafted fine leather goods for his peers in law enforcement.

Greg finds these men and his parents as the principle influences of him being an innovative designer. His designs bring Yankee ingenuity, Western Freedom, and high-tech aerospace to an intersection of form and function that puts smiles on faces.

Greg is relatively new to knife making but attacks the calling with the same intense passion and dedication towards excellence that he brings to everything he does. A lifelong lover of all things edged, he is no newcomer to the design and use of knives. He has been restoring and using period Japanese swords since the mid 1980s. Greg is a 31-year professional Martial Artist and hand-to-hand instructor, as well as a close quarters master level instructor and has a very strong background in close quarters bare-handed weapon defense and disarms. He holds a Commercial Pilot’s License and is an FAA certified single/multi/instrument flight instructor. He holds a surface level aerobatic competency card for flying airshows and has been a leader in the Warbird Aviation community for years. When Greg flew airshows professional, he was not only the pilot, but he built his planes, rebuilt their engines, and even imported exotic planes from around the world for restoration and use. All of these experiences uniquely prepared him for the design and manufacture of advanced edged weapons and tools. Greg served in the United States Marine Corps form 1988-1992 as an M.O.S. 0311. He was part of “New England’s Own” and deployed for Operations Desert Storm and Shield in 1990-1991.

Greg was part of the augmentation fore integrated into the 5^th Marines and was a part of ground combat operations in Task Force Ripper in Wester Kuwait. He holds a special place in his heart for anyone who needs a knife for the various things required in warfare and brings his first-hand experience to the design and making of these special blades. As a husband and father of two, Greg knows and feels how important it is to have the very best tools to get you back to your loved ones after a mission or adventure. When a knife leaves the studio with the MKT logo stamped into it, all of these influences bear forth in the steel and quality of their products.

Today, we will be going over the Medford Knife & Tool Dress Marauder Flamed Titanium Folder Knife with a D2 satin blade.

 

The Blade:

The blade on this knife is made out of D2 tool steel. D2 is a tool steel that is often found in different industrial settings. This steel comes with a high hardness and relatively high toughness, which does make it a great choice for tools and especially in cutlery. This steel is technically not a stainless steel because it does fall just short of the 14% chromium content, but it is steel very corrosion resistant. D2 has been around for over 20 years, which means that the steel has been tried and true and is a reliable option.

The blade has been satin finished. This finish is created by repeatedly sanding the blade in one direction with an increasing level of an abrasive, such as a sandpaper. This finish is the most popular steel finish in knife blades, because it gives you a very traditional and classic look that is never going to go out of style. In terms of luster, the satin finish falls in between a polished finish, which is extremely reflective, and a coated finish, which is completely matte. The satin finish is designed to show off the bevels and fine lines of the blade and the steel.

The blade has been carved into a drop point blade shape. The drop point blade shape is formed by having the back, or the unsharpened, edge of the knife run straight from the handle to the tip of the knife in a slow curved manner, which gives you a lowered point. It is this lowered point that provides more control and even adds extra strength to the tip. This broad tip is what sets this popular blade shape apart from the clip point shape, which has a much finer tip. So while the drop point does not sport as sharp of a tip clip point, it is much stronger. And because of this tip strength and its ability to not break when subjected to heavy use, drop point blades are a very popular shape on tactical and even survival knives. This blade shape is also very popular on hunting knives, because the lowered tip helps you easily control your blade, helping you avoid nicking the internal organs or ruining the meat if you slipped. Drop point blades are one of the most popular blade shapes that is in use today and that is for good reason—they are extremely strong and very versatile. These blades are so versatile because they sport such a large belly area that helps make slicing a breeze. Most of the activities that you are going to be performing are going to need you to have the slicing capability. While I previously mentioned how much strength the broad tip adds, this wide tip is also one of the drawbacks to this blade. Because it is so broad, you do miss out on most of your stabbing abilities. The point is not fine or sharp, so while many people do appreciate the strength that the tip adds, you should be aware that you won’t be able to stab with this knife. This knife does sport a plain edge.

 

The Handle:

The handle is made out of flamed titanium handle scales. Titanium is a lightweight metal alloy and it offers the bet rust resistance out of any metal. This metal is heavier than its brother, aluminum, but it is still considered a lightweight metal. And for the extra weight, you get exponential strength behind it. Unfortunately, because it is so much stronger, it is also more expensive to machine. Because of this, titanium is relatively expensive. Titanium has a rare quality to it that when you touch it, it actually has a warm feel to it, so if you are going to be using this Medford blade during the winter, you won’t have to worry about it feeling like it is cutting into your palms. This metal is strong, light, and very corrosion resistant. However, it is expensive and it is prone to scratches.

This titanium has been flamed which means that it has undergone the flaming process. This process creates a stunning and very durable alpha-case skin which makes this handle more scratch resistant that your typical titanium handle scales. Plus, the flaming process makes it so that the handle displays different colors in a unique design. The colors that you get out of the flaming process on this knife are deeper colors with hints of navy and some brownish green swirled throughout.

The handle has a slight curve to it to give you a more comfortable grip and there are two shallow thumb grooves on the handle that help give you a place to put your fingers and have a slightly more secure grip. The butt of the handle is squared off.

 

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on the Marauder is made out of titanium. Titanium is a lightweight metal and it offers the best corrosion resistance of any metal. This metal is a little bit heavier than the similar aluminum, but it is still a lightweight metal. Plus, it is extremely strong. Titanium is a sturdy material, but it still has a “springy” so your clip isn’t going to be extremely stiff. Unfortunately, titanium is pretty prone to scratches, so your pocket clip might get a little bit beat up. The pocket clip has been aggressively finished and roughed up with an “M” carved into it. This is a super short pocket clip that is kept in place by two silver screws that match the rest of the hardware. The pocket clip is statically designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle.

 

The Mechanism:

The Marauder Dress is a folding knife. This blade features a recessed thumb slot that helps you to open your knife. This slot gives you a spot to gain good traction on the blade before pushing the blade out of the handle.

This knife also boasts a frame lock mechanism. The frame lock is very similar to a liner lock, but the main difference is that a frame lock sues the handle to form the frame and therefore the lock. The handle will have two sides, is often cut form a steel that is much thicker than the liner of most locks. Some similarities between the liner lock and the frame lock is that they are both situated with the liner inward and the tip engaging the bottom of the blade. The frame lock is released by applying pressure to the frame to move it away from the blade. When the knife is opened, the pressure on the lock forces it to snap across the blade, which engages it at its furthest point. Frame locks are well known for their thickness and strength, so they are the perfect locking mechanism for a knife that is going to be taking a beating throughout its life.

 

The Specs:

The blade on this knife measures in at 2.5 inches long, with a blade thickness of 0.125 inches. The handle measures in at 3.2 inches, which puts the overall length of this knife at 5.7 inches when it is opened. The handle has a thickness of 0.375 inches. This knife weighs in at 2.3 ounces. This Medford Knife & Tool knife was made in the United States of America.

 

Conclusion:

Much like the classic Praetorian series by MKT, the Marauder is manufactured is 3 separate sizes–the Dress being the smallest. Built much slimmer than the other models, each gentlemanly frame lock designed model features an elegant yet simplistic design that is sure to please and each blade is deployed with the use of the recessed thumb slot. This custom model features a flamed titanium handle scales, a drop point style blade in a satin finish and the extra-short titanium pocket clip is statically designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle. Finally, this model includes an olive drab green waterproof storage case complete with black foam inserts. The steel that has been chosen for this blade is tough, and although this steel isn’t actually a full stainless steel, it is very corrosion resistant, which makes it ideal for a blade that is going to get some serious use throughout its life. It is the flamed titanium handles that really set this knife apart from others, giving it a very unique look. A Marauder is a person who raids, often mentioned in fantasy style genres. The flamed titanium handles give the knife the look of a Marauders cape—which has to allow them to hide in the shadows. Pick up your own Marauder today at BladeOps.